Jack
Benny is one of the great American comedians. His work spans
the 20th century, from vaudeville to radio and movies to
TV. In vaudeville, he delivered the snappy comebacks and
one liners with intelligence and wit, but it was only with
the continuing development of his personal trait comedy that he really became the Jack Benny we all know so well.
"Who else could play for four decades the part of a
vain, miserly, argumentative skinflint, and emerge a national
treasure?The secret of his success was deceptively simple:
he was a man of great heart." That's John Dunning's
assessment from "On
the Air, The Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio,"
which gives a great history of the man and his show. "Where
would I be today without my writers, without Rochester,
Dennis Day, Mary Livingstone,
Phil Harris, and Don
Wilson?" Benny asked in Newsweek in 1947.

Jack Benny circa 1920'sBorn on Valentine's Day, 1894, he toured regional
vaudeville two years playing violin. He found he could tell
jokes after enlisting in the Navy during WW I and getting
onstage without the violin to entertain the troops. He changed
his name several times, the original one being Benjamin
Kubelsky. In 1927, he met and married a lovely clerk named
Sadye Marks. She was to become Mary Livingstone, one of
Jack Benny's regular characters for the rest of his life.
His very first appearance on radio in 1932 was situational,
as he talked directly to the audience about himself and
how his Hollywood scenario writer job was failing, but that
he was going to be in a picture in ten weeks with Garbo.
"They sent me the story last week. When the picture
opens, I'm found dead in the bathroom." Pure Benny,
right from the start.

Jack Benny and Fred Allen's infamous on-air feud began with Fred's ad-libbed comment that a visiting child violinist should put Jack's violin playing to shame. Writers from both programs met to plot out the feud much to the amusement of radio audiences and fans of both programs.

His old time radio show was in its prime from the mid
1930s right through the mid-1950s, a remarkable achievement.
It was comedy perfection, since Benny had a knack for picking
great writers and great talent to showcase. Don Wilson became
the Benny announcer in 1934, and continued in that post
beyond radio. Wilson's good natured, but rotund stature
proved the butt of many jokes, as humor was a little cruel
in those days. Phil Harris arrived in '36, and was the hipster
bandleader who embraced life the way Benny's character couldn't. Dennis Day replaced tenor Kenny
Baker in 1939. Day was a fresh, very green Irish unknown.
The audience loved it, and he played that role for years.
Another regular of the Benny Show was Mel Blanc, the master
of comic voices best known for Bugs Bunny. Mel got to do
his own Mel Blanc Show,
as much as a spin-off of his Benny fame than from his cartoon
work. Phil Harris had a show with his movie star wife Alice
Faye , and in the late 40s, Dennis
Day did a comedy show. Such was the Benny aura. As for
Eddie Rochester Anderson, he was probably the best-loved
"colored" person on radio after Amos
and Andy, and of course, Rochester delivered the
Benny put-downs as well and as often as anyone else did
on the show. He was the "servant," or "man,"
if you prefer the English term. But he was a sharp
intelligent fellow, and in real life a very successful showbiz

Volume 1 - 73 shows - total
playtime 28 hours 7 minutes
(Please note that some of the recordings from the 1930s are of inferior quality.
However, the quality is improved after the early 1930s recordings. )

Jack Benny Misc.
5612xx Christmas Special
430315 Lending$10ToFredAllen
Jack Argues With Cast2
Jack Is in Bed with a Cold
Jacks Love Letters
Jacks Violin is Stolen 020
Last Broadcast From The Old NBC
Mel Blanc as Indian

Volume 12 - 75 shows - total playtime 25 hours 47 minutes

Benny's Memories
Benny Discussion, Speaking Of Radio 01o12
Benny Discussion, Speaking Of Radio 02o12
Benny Discussion, Speaking Of Radio 03o12
Benny Discussion, Speaking Of Radio 04o12
Benny Discussion, Speaking Of Radio 05o12
Benny Discussion, Speaking Of Radio 06o12
Benny Discussion, Speaking Of Radio 07o12
Benny Discussion, Speaking Of Radio 09o12
Benny Discussion, Speaking Of Radio 10o12
Benny Discussion, Speaking Of Radio 11o12
Benny Discussion, Speaking Of Radio 12o12
Benny Golden Memories of Radio 1o4
Benny Golden Memories of Radio 2o4
Benny Golden Memories of Radio 3o4
Benny Golden Memories of Radio 4o4
Benny Interview 1o2
Benny Jack Benny Story 1o4
Benny Jack Benny Story 2o4
Benny Jack Benny Story 3o4
Benny Jack Benny Story 4o4
Specials Golden Days Of Radio 1a
Specials Golden Days Of Radio 1b
Specials Golden Days Of Radio 2a
Specials Golden Days Of Radio 2b

Jack Benny Screen Appearances
Buck Benny Rides Again
Hollywood Is On the Air College Holiday (1936)
Hollywood Is On the Air Love Thy Neighbor (1940)
Leo Is On the Air Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)
Love Thy Neighbor Premiere 19401217 Paramount Theater
Love Thy Neighbor Premiere 19401217 Preview Broadcast
Paramount Big Broadcast of 1937 (1936)
Paramount Is On the Air Artists and Models (1937)
Paramount Man About Town (1939)